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Will you be joining us at the Social Media Summit?

Join us Feb. 22-23, and become part of PR News’ community as you immerse yourself in real-world, tactical case studies from brands, nonprofits and agencies and get takeaways in influencer marketing, paid and organic social posts, developing cross-departmental teams, building and maintaining strong relationships with the media and specific advice on proving the business value of it all and how to make the most out of Facebook, Instagram, Google and Twitter for your initiatives.

Attendee Bonuses:

PR News' Social Media Guidebook ($400 value)

Executive Summary - we take notes for you!

Essentials for a Successful Facebook Video Strategy

Best Practices for Promoting Facebook Live Viewership

What You Should Measure on Snapchat

How to Find and Attract the Right Influencers for Your Brand

Great conference, speakers and venue! Loved the clean, candid approach of all speakers towards the challenging environment of social media. External Relations, US Operations and Marketing North America, Procter & Gamble

Agenda

Breakfast and Conversation

Despite their expanded job responsibilities, some communicators continue to battle decades-old perceptions of communications as a hard-to-quantify profession, unworthy of a seat at the proverbial table. And the integration of communications, social media, marketing and advertising further complicates the role of communications pros. In this opening Q&A, Chevron's Dave Samson, Nestlé Purina Petcare's Wendy Vlieks and AbbVie's Morry Smulevitz will discuss how communications leaders can become stronger strategic business advisers and continue to commandeer earned media strategy.

Among the topics Dave, Wendy and Morry will discuss:

Making communications metrics more relevant in the boardroom

How digital is blurring boundaries between marketing and PR

Where social sits in their organizations

Qualities and skills they're looking for in next-gen communicators

Dave Samson

General Manager, Public Affairs

Chevron Corp.

Wendy Vlieks

Director, Corporate Communications & Issues Management

Nestlé Purina PetCare

Morry Smulevitz

Head, U.S. Public Affairs

AbbVie

9:10 am - 10:00 am

How to Connect Paid Social With Your Overall Communications Strategy

Here’s where you’ll get your opportunity to ask how you can better tie together your paid social efforts with your overriding communications strategy and, equally important, how to tell that story cohesively to your senior leaders or clients. The external story aspect will also figure prominently in this session—we'll look at the advantages of focusing more on your brand's stories across platforms and less on the concept of earned media itself. You’ve got the social media tactics down—find out how to make them complement everything else you do as a communicator.

What we'll cover:

Calculating your paid social and other communications efforts altogether

Showing clearly what your paid social efforts are doing for your brand

Keeping paid influencers aligned with your PR strategy

New ways of using paid social to increase the chances of getting positive earned media from journalists and influencers

Ben White

Senior Vice President

Edelman

Chip Ross

former Director, Social Media Marketing, LA Times Media Group

10:00 am - 10:10 am

Networking Break

10:10 am - 11:30 am

No More ROI Nightmares—How to Shift Your Measurement Strategy From Metrics to Insights

In this how-to session comprising presentations and a panel discussion, you'll get the latest best practices in developing a measurable communications strategy, choosing key performance indicators and delivering business insights to senior leaders. And talk about a panel of measurement experts! You'll hear from Andrew Bowins of KPMG, Eric Koefoot of PublicRelay, Aaron Strout of W2O Group and Peggy Ann Torney of the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

You'll learn:

The role of human expertise in converting metrics into insights that help a business grow

How to put business goals first before worrying about measurement

How to negotiate and confirm expectations of communications with the C-suite

How to counter feedback from senior leaders or board members whose conception of what communications can do for an organization are very different from your own

Aaron Strout

Chief Marketing Officer

W2O Group

Andrew Bowins

Executive Director, Corporate Reputation & Digital Engagement

KPMG

Eric Koefoot

President and CEO

PublicRelay

11:45 am - 12:55 pm

Lunch and Tabletop Discussions

Choose among several topics—podcasting, fostering a healthy work culture, fake news, hiring and retaining top talent, the next-gen communicator and more—share ideas and insight, and enjoy lunch with your peers.

1:05 pm - 1:40 pm

Media Relations Strategies That Help You Build Relationships with Reporters

You’ll get real-world case-study examples and executive-level how-to’s that will show you what true media relations success looks like when working with data-driven journalists. You think you’re under pressure to use data to prove your value as a PR pro? Consider the plight of journalists, who work in a shrinking industry that demands that every headline has a sensational aspect to it.

Maire Griffin of Wyndham Hotel Group and Nisha Morris of Providence St. Joseph Health will show you how they:

Tell brand stories that can translate into “elevated” news stories for journalists

Find ways to make seemingly mundane stories come across as groundbreaking

Transformed themselves into business analysts and serve as real resources for reporters

Make the most out of their Twitter lists of journalists

Build relationships with reporters

Respond when reporters text them out of the blue

Nisha Morris

Executive Director, Communication

Providence St. Joseph Health

Maire Griffin

Vice President, Global Communications

Wyndham Hotel Group

1:40 pm - 1:50 pm

Networking Break

1:50 pm - 3:10 pm

How to Manage an Escalating Crisis in Real Time

Work in small groups with your fellow Summit attendees as you immerse yourself in a mock crisis that threatens the reputation of an organization. Our crisis management trainers will define the crisis and begin their stopwatch—then it will be your team’s job to create a strategy that will measure the impact of the developing crisis in real time and point the way toward an appropriate response. Team leaders will share their strategies with all attendees, and our workshop leaders Temeka Easter of Sallie Mae and Kevin Elliott of Hill+Knowlton Strategies will analyze the results to create a set of best practices.

You’ll learn:

How to best use social media in a crisis

How to prevent or deter issues from escalating into a crisis

How to identify a crisis, how to evaluate emerging situations and what to do in the first 24 hours

How to engage company employees as well as friends, fans and followers in the crisis communication effort

Temeka Easter

Senior Director, Social Media

Sallie Mae

Kevin Elliott

U.S. Director, Risk & Crisis Communication Practice

Hill+Knowlton Strategies

3:10 pm - 3:20 pm

Networking Break

3:20 pm - 4:00 pm

How to Harness the Power of Influencer- and User-Generated Content—and Measure Its Impact on Your Brand

Amisha Gandhi of SAP and Michelle Kempner of BuzzFeed will share case study examples of how their respective organizations tap into people's desire to share content online, and how those efforts pay off in building a brand. They'll also show you how they're measuring the results of their influencer marketing and UGC efforts.

Choose the right metrics for your UGC and influencer marketing efforts and track success, even if you're a team of one

Find the people who are already talking about your brand and use that for marketing

Amisha Gandhi

Head of Global Influencer Marketing

SAP

Michelle Kempner

Vice President, Operations

BuzzFeed

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

On-Site Networking Activities

Wrap up Day 1 of the DigiComm Summit with a relaxing yoga session or delicious wine tasting!

7:00 pm

Dining with Friends at the Huntington Beach Resort (Dutch Dining)

Get dinner with summit attendees after the first day of the summit! Each individual will cover their own bill.

7:00 am

Sunrise Walk on the Beach

8:00 am - 8:25 am

Breakfast and Conversation

8:30 am - 9:50 am

Workshop: How to Craft an Elevator Pitch About Your Social Media Results for Your C-Suite

In this two-part session, we’ll start by discussing how to find the right insights and how to contextualize your campaign data to bring to your C-suite/clients/board of directors, even if everything didn’t go perfectly. Then you'll work in teams as you consider metrics from a fictitious social media campaign, and present the insights from the campaign to our trainers—who'll be standing in as your C-suite. The goal of the workshop: to turn complicated metrics into an elevator pitch that gets your stakeholders' attention.

You’ll learn how to:

Tell the story of your social media campaigns internally

Choose the platform and social media metrics that matter most to your senior leaders

Manage senior leaders' inherent skepticism about social media's value

Steer the C-suite away from the vanity metrics they cherish

Amisha Gandhi

Head of Global Influencer Marketing

SAP

Joe Fullman

Vice President of Marketing

The Onion

9:50 am - 10:00 am

Networking Break

10:00 am - 10:55 am

Brand Storytelling: Learn What True Success Looks Like From Hallmark, Ticketmaster and Guinness World Records

Carrie Bratcher of Hallmark, Ashley Dos Santos of Ticketmaster and Kim Partrick of Guinness World Records will share recent examples of their own integrated brand storytelling campaigns, with a particular focus on the "Aha!" moments that now serve as guideposts for future campaigns.

Ashley Dos Santos

Director, Communications

Ticketmaster

Kim Partrick

Head of Brand Development, West Coast

Guinness World Records

Carrie Bratcher

Public Relations & Social Media Strategy Leader

Hallmark

10:55 am - 11:05 am

Networking Break

11:05 am - 11:55 am

AI's Impact on Business, Culture and Brand Communications

Mike Delgado is not just director of social media for Experian—he's also a fearless scanner of the technological horizon who can see the wide-ranging implications of tech's evolution. In this session, Mike's going to discuss the effects artificial intelligence and machine learning are already having at the corporate and cultural levels and, in particular, the way AI will change the way communicators work. He'll also offer a glimpse into where AI is heading in the not-too-distant future.

Mike will discuss:

How companies around the world are using AI

Which AI-powered solutions are already making a business impact

Voice applications with a B2B focus

How virtual assistants will change how you find influencers and journalists

How communicators will have to adapt in the near future to AI

Mike Delgado

Director of Social Media

Experian

11:55 am - 1:00 pm

Lunch & 'Innovation Through Improv' Workshop

Enjoy a delicious lunch at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort, and then participate in an improv workshop led by Improv for the People's Matthew Moore. This session focuses on the fundamentals of improv and how improv can improve your communication skills and creativity. (And it's fun!)

Matthew Moore

Artistic Director

Improv for the People

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Dynamic Dashboards: How to Build a Real-Time Communications Measurement Center

Communications pros need a command center to get their arms around the ever-changing sea of sentiment online. In this session we'll show you how to zero in on the most impactful KPIs, as well as how to find the best tools for building your dashboard from scratch. You’ll learn how to get a handle on what’s happening with your communications programs in real time and, ultimately, how to demonstrate the impact your efforts have on the bottom line.

You’ll learn how to:

Translate real-time data and analytics into actionable initiatives

Get a handle on your brand’s reputation on all of the major social channels

Use social listening tactics as an early crisis warning system

Scott Davis

SVP, Client Experience

Weber Shandwick

Danielle Calhoun

Director, Platform Strategy, San Francisco Office

Weber Shandwick

1:30 pm - 1:40 pm

Networking Break

1:40 pm - 2:30 pm

How to Grab (and Keep) Attention with Short- and Long-Form Video

As attention spans shrink, the fight for relevance online has never been fiercer. The 60-second video is becoming less effective as brands instead embrace the quick-hit tactics of a 10-second (or less) clip. Engagement rates are much higher the shorter the video, but sometimes a long live stream can also grab attention in unexpected ways. This case study-based session with Lauren de la Fuente of Boingo Wireless, Ken Peterson of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Larissa von Lockner of PwC will illustrate the best uses for both short-form and long-form video content on YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram Stories and Snapchat.

In this panel, you’ll learn:

Which social media platforms are best suited for your target demographic

When to use videos of different lengths and why

The visual storytelling elements that immediately connect with audiences

How to entertain and inform without sacrificing brand awareness

Common sense tips on how to make sure your video will perform well

How to choose either Snapchat or Instagram Stories for your video strategy

How to measure the success of your videos on Snapchat and Instagram Stories, including a look at Snapchat's new analytics for creators

Lauren de la Fuente

Vice President, Marketing + Communications

Boingo Wireless

Ken Peterson

Communications Director

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Larissa von Lockner

Creative Team, Social Media

PwC

2:30 pm - 2:40 pm

Networking Break

2:40 pm - 3:25 pm

What Facebook's News Feed Overhaul Means for Your Brand

In mid-January 2018, Facebook announced major changes coming to the platform—namely, a de-emphasis of branded content in news feeds. Those changes may have an impact on your brand's paid Facebook posts and most definitely will hamper your organic reach—which already has severe limitations. Jacque Marianno of the American Heart Association, Ryan George of wealth management firm 1st Global and Larissa von Lockner of multinational professional services company PwC will discuss the possible implications of Zuckerberg's statement that "public content—posts from businesses, brands and media—is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other," and share their own secrets of organic success.

We'll cover:

What changes to Facebook's news feed we might expect

What those changes might mean for your brand's paid and organic Facebook content

Ryan George

Jacque Marianno

Larissa von Lockner

Creative Team, Social Media

PwC

3:25 pm - 4:00 pm

What’s Next: 8 Trends That Will Define Brand Communications in 2018

Change is the only constant in public relations and as the rate of innovation continues to accelerate, it’s getting more difficult to anticipate what’s around the corner. From the storytelling possibilities of virtual and augmented reality and 360 video to the growing application of artificial intelligence, the not-too-distant future promises a dizzying array of new roads for communicators. In this session, Joss Hastings of Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media and Adrianna Hosford of Ketchum will demystify the trends that will shape 2018 and beyond.

Larissa von Lockner

Carrie Bratcher

Kevin Elliott

Danielle Calhoun

Director, Platform Strategy, San Francisco Office

Weber Shandwick

Networking

Meet New Friends, while Connecting with Colleagues from Past PR News Conferences!

The Social Media Summit will provide excellent networking opportunities. Beyond the sessions on every facet of digital communications, you’ll also make long-lasting connections with other like-minded professionals during the several scheduled networking breaks throughout the two days.

Networking Opportunities Include:

Yoga

Wine Tasting

Dine With New Friends

2 Networking Breakfasts

2 Networking Lunches

4 Networking Breaks

3 Team Exercises with Peers

Who's Attending

As a PR or communications professional, you know that you and your team need to step outside of your workplace, connect with peers and learn from the best to keep growing your skills—for your brand, and for your career. The PR News Summit will allow you to do just that. Take a look at a few of the organizations that have signed up to attend this year:

If you spend at least a quarter of your time in any of these areas, you should attend PR News' Summit:

Digital PR

Marketing Communications

Communications

Marketing

Public Relations

Community Relations

Content Creation

Content Marketing

Crisis Management

External Communications

Internal Communications

Lead Generation

Measurement

Media Relations

Public Affairs/Issues Management

Research and Analytics

SEO

Social Media

Video

Attendee Bonuses

When you attend a PR News event we go the extra step to provide you with meaningful takeaways from our sessions, and these attendee bonuses:

PR News' Social Media Guidebook ($400 value)

Executive Summary - we take notes for you!

Essentials for a Successful Facebook Video Strategy

Best Practices for Promoting Facebook Live Viewership

What You Should Measure on Snapchat

How to Find and Attract the Right Influencers for Your Brand

You'll take away practical knowledge on how to:

Paid social strategies

How to shift your measurement strategy from metrics to insights

Media relations tactics to enhance relationships with journalists

How to manage a crisis in real-time

How to work with influencers and what to do with user generated contet

Hotel Block

Contemporary, Spanish-style architecture sets the scene for a memorable retreat at our oceanfront Huntington Beach hotel. Wake to shimmering views of the Pacific Ocean from your private balcony and fill your day with adventure, from surfing lessons to nearby Orange County arts and entertainment. Pamper yourself with a relaxing treatment at Pacific Waters Spa or sip and savor in the sun at the lagoon-style pool.

Book Your Room at the Venue: We have a discounted room block rate of $275/night from the dates of February 21 through February 24. This rate ENDS February 9, 2018.

Invest in your future: Attending Social Media Summit is the equivalent of 24 hours of time with a strategic consultant or spending a few weeks in a graduate-level business course. Plus, the people connections you’ll make are invaluable. Register now and commit to taking your career and your department to the next level.

Team Rates: join the many other companies who bring their teams to the Social Media Summit so they can collectively learn, strategize and build a better mousetrap.

This pass includes access to:

FAQs

What is PR News?

The PR News Group is a go-to source that serves the communications and marketing community at corporations, agencies and nonprofits. The PR News Group focuses on honing and growing PR and marketing professionals’ skills in social media, crisis management, digital PR, measurement, employee relations, media training, CSR and writing through its flagship newsletter, webinars, conferences, awards programs, workshops and guidebooks. With the launch of its weekly newsletter over 70 years ago, PR News has remained dedicated to supporting the growth of communicators and marketers all while keeping them abreast of the latest news affecting their industries.

What is the Social MediaSummit?

The Summit is a two-day conference where you’ll become immersed in real-world, tactical case studies detailing storytelling, social media influenceres and micro influencers, video, crisis management, social media analytics, SEO, paid social, integrated communications and so much more. We also give you plenty of opportunities to connect with other participants through scheduled networking breaks, off-site activities and an opening reception to kick it all offf!

Does PR News have a hotel room block?

Yes, we have arranged a room block at the Huntington Beach Resort and Spa for $275/night from the dates of February 21 through February 24. Book your room by February 5 to take advantage of this discounted rate.

How can I become a sponsor?

A variety of event sponsorship opportunities are available for these industry-known events. Please contact Sales Director Katie Sullivan at ksullivan@accessintel.com to book you spot soon as we have a limited number of slots available.

What kinds of payment do you accept?

We only accept credit card (AMEX, Visa, MC) and check (must be received 10 days prior to the event) via our online registration. Register here.

Is there an additional discount for groups of 5 or more?

There is a discount for groups of 5 or more from the same company, please contact Client Services at 1-800-777-5006; clientservices@accessintel.com for details.

What if I have a discount code?

Only one discount code can be honored, and only the first discount code used can be honored. Please note that discount codes are only good on NEW REGISTRATIONS. Discount codes cannot be applied to a registration that has already been processed and price adjustments are not available.

I’m part of the media, how can I get a complimentary pass?

If you’re interested in becoming one of our media partners and/or attending to cover the events, please submit your request to clientservices@accessintel.com. There are very few spots available and due to the high volume of requests, only those chosen to attend will be notified.

I am registered, but cannot attend. Can I cancel or transfer my registration?

You may substitute another individual in your place at no extra charge, but we do not refund registrations. That is clearly stated on the payment page of the registration process and confirmation message. If transferring, please forward the information to clientservices@accessintel.com.

I have a question about the Social Media Summit that I did not find here. What should I do?

Testimonials

This was a great event. Not only were the speakers knowledgeable and engaging, but the attendees were awesome. And networking was great! Communications Manager, CIGNA

Great conference, speakers and venue! Loved the clean, candid approach of all speakers towards the challenging environment of social media. External Relations, US Operations and Marketing North America, Procter & Gamble

The ability to download PDFs of the presentations is awesome. It will be great to share with colleagues who were unable to attend. Associate Vice President, Finn Partners

This was a great event. Not only were the speakers knowledgeable and engaging, but the attendees were awesome. And networking was great! Communications Manager, CIGNA

Great conference, speakers and venue! Loved the clean, candid approach of all speakers towards the challenging environment of social media. External Relations, US Operations and Marketing North America, Procter & Gamble

The ability to download PDFs of the presentations is awesome. It will be great to share with colleagues who were unable to attend. Associate Vice President, Finn Partners

I learned more in one day than I’ve learned all year! Director of New Media at the American Heart Association

I was so impressed with the overall event. The quality of the presentations was top-notch, and the ability to network with like-minded people during the breaks and at lunch was invaluable. Director, Global Media Relations, SAP AG

This was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended. Social Media Manager, Nautica

I thought it was incredibly relevant to the audience. I walked away with several key ideas that I can’t wait to implement on my clients behalf. Chief Public Affairs Officer, Clemson University

Wonderful and insightful event in which I would like to have my entire team participate, including some clients. Account Executive, Digital Brand Architects

It was a fantastic event, and many of the strategies delivered today will inform our company’s social media policies moving forward. Online News Producer, Education Week

Amazing speakers. Relevant Case Studies. I went back to the office literally with a fire hose of apps to investigate. Also, great ideas for companies with low budgets. Sr. Director of Corporate Marketing and Communications, MTN

Sponsor

At the Social Media Summit presented by PR News, sponsors will reach hundreds of communications, marketing and digital professionals looking to improve their social media strategies and SEO. Join us as a thought leader at this dynamic industry event by becoming a sponsor today.

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Your logo on all marketing and event materials

2 complimentary registration passes for your staff

Full-page ad in the attendee workbook

"5 Things You Didn't Know" list about your company included in the attendee workbook and event website

Booth to display your sponsorship materials in a high foot traffic area

Trackable VIP discount code to send to your clients and colleagues to attend the conference

Speaking opportunity for your executive

Opportunity to present research from your organization

Provision of the attendee list with full contact information

Face time during the event where you'll have the chance to raffle off an item

Networking opportunities with attendees

Shout-outs on social media and on stage at the event

Have other sponsorship needs? You can customize a sponsorship package. Hurry, Only a Limited Number of Sponsorships are Available! For information about sponsorship packages, please contact Katie Sullivan at ksullivan@accessintel.com.

Why Sponsor the Social Media Summit?

Reach decision-makers and buyers who know the importance of having the right products and services for their social media efforts

Save on travel costs and meet with your current customers and potential new clients in one trip

Launch a new product or service to decision-makers in the social media community

PR News Gives Back with Feeding America

The Feeding America network is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization with 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs. Together with individuals, charities, businesses and government we can end hunger. A portion of the PR News' Social Media Summit ticket sales will go to Feeding America.